Syllabus: Paper II > 1.2 Palaeo-anthropological evidences from India > Narmada basin (Narmada Man)
Ethno-archaeological Evidence for Hunting-Gathering Traditions — 2016 Paper II
Question · 2016 · Paper II · 10 Marks
Ethno-archaeological evidences for the survival of hunting-gathering traditions in India
Model Answer
VAID ICSApproach
- Demand of Question: Explain how hunting practices among contemporary tribal communities help archaeologists reconstruct prehistoric behaviour.
- Structuring the Response: Define ethno-archaeology, identify material signatures of hunting, and show their archaeological utility and limitations.
- Key Dimensions to Cover: Kill sites, butchery, carcass transport, bone modification, tool discard, seasonality, Binford and ethnographic analogy.
Model Answer
Introduction: Ethno-archaeology studies living communities to understand how human behaviour produces material remains. Observation of hunting among contemporary communities helps interpret prehistoric faunal assemblages, tools and settlement patterns.
Major areas of analysis:
- Hunting strategy: Individual or collective hunting, stalking, trapping and use of bows, spears or nets.
- Kill-site behaviour: Whether animals are butchered at the kill site or transported to camp.
- Carcass processing: Cut marks, percussion marks, bone breakage and marrow extraction reveal butchery practices.
- Transport decisions: High-utility body parts may be selectively carried back to settlements.
- Seasonality and mobility: Hunting schedules reflect animal movement, water availability and ecological cycles.
- Spatial patterning: Hearths, discarded tools and bones help identify activity areas.
Lewis Binford’s Nunamiut studies showed how hunting and carcass transport create patterned archaeological deposits.
Indian groups such as the Chenchu and Birhor also demonstrate links between ecology, mobility and hunting.
Observed behaviour → Material residues → Archaeological interpretation
Conclusion: Ethno-archaeology provides valuable analogies for reconstructing prehistoric hunting, but present communities cannot be treated as unchanged replicas of prehistoric societies.
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UPSC Anthropology Optional 2016 — Paper II
28 questionsSyllabus: Paper II > 9.3 Contributions of anthropology to the understanding of regionalism, communalism and ethnic and political movements
Syllabus: Paper II > 9.2 Role of anthropology in tribal and rural development
5(b) Bio-genetic variability of Indian tribes
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 6.1 Tribal situation in India > Bio-genetic variability
Syllabus: Paper II > 4. Emergence, growth and development of anthropology in India > Scholar-administrators and tribal studies
Syllabus: Paper II > 1.1 Evolution of Indian Culture and Civilization > Contributions of the tribal cultures to Indian civilization
1(e) Ethno-archaeological evidences for the survival of hunting-gathering traditions in India
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 1.3 Ethno-archaeology in India > Survivals and parallels among hunting and foraging communities
Syllabus: Paper II > 7.1 Problems of exploitation and deprivation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes
Syllabus: Paper II > 7.1 Constitutional safeguards for Scheduled Tribes > Fifth and Sixth Schedules
Syllabus: Paper II > 6.3 Impact of urbanisation and industrialization on tribal populations
Syllabus: Paper II > 8.1 Impact of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and other religions on tribal societies > Islam
1(d) Impact of Jainism on Indian society
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 3.4 Impact of Buddhism, Jainism, Islam and Christianity on Indian society > Jainism
Syllabus: Paper II > 5.1 Indian Village > Indian village as a social system
4(c) Compare the contribution of L. P. Vidyarthi and D. N. Majumdar to the study of Indian tribes.
15 Marks
Syllabus: Paper II > 4. Emergence, growth and development of anthropology in India > Contributions of Indian anthropologists
1(b) Linguistic elements in Indian population
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 2. Demographic profile of India > Linguistic elements and their distribution
6(b) Examine the nature of interplay of little and great traditions in the context of globalization.
15 Marks
Syllabus: Paper II > 5.3 Indigenous and exogenous processes of socio-cultural change > Interplay of little and great traditions
1(a) Significance of Mesolithic findings from Belan Valley
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 1.1 Evolution of Indian Culture and Civilization > Prehistoric > Mesolithic > Belan Valley
Syllabus: Paper II > 9.1 Role of N.G.O.s in tribal development
Syllabus: Paper II > 7.3 Regionalism and demand for autonomy
1(c) Relevance of caste in contemporary Indian politics
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 3.2 Caste system in India > Caste in contemporary politics
Syllabus: Paper II > 6.3 Development of forest policy and tribals > Forest Rights Act, 2006
4(a) Give a detailed appraisal of skeletal remains from Chalcolithic culture of undivided Punjab.
20 Marks
Syllabus: Paper II > 1.1 Evolution of Indian Culture and Civilization > Neolithic-Chalcolithic > Skeletal evidence
Syllabus: Paper II > 3.2 Caste system in India > Theories of origin of the caste system
Syllabus: Paper II > 2. Demographic profile of India > Ethnic elements > Racial classification and the Negrito question
Syllabus: Paper II > 5.1 Indian Village > Traditional and changing patterns of settlement
Syllabus: Paper II > 7.2 Social change and contemporary tribal societies > Impact of development programmes and welfare measures
5(d) Tribe as a colonial construct
10 Marks150 words
Syllabus: Paper II > 6.1 Tribal situation in India > Definition and construction of the category 'tribe'
Syllabus: Paper II > 3.2 Caste system in India > Tribe-caste continuum and Sanskritization